The Song of Lala
by The Protector of Light
Summary: The story of a heartless, from the heartless's point of view. Lala is a newly formed shadow whose only wish in life is to find her heart at any cost to herself. This is the story of her quest.
1. Act I: Prologue

The Song of Lala, Act I: Prologue

What comes here?  
Where am I,  
What have I become?  
Will I forget who I am?  
As I sink, slowly go down,  
Into the darkness, I drown.  
My oh my, what is this pain?  
My oh my, why does it rain?  
My oh my, where am I now?  
My oh my, I wonder how?  
How I have come into this place.  
I remember nothing but a face.  
And that face does fade into the dark.  
I look and search deep down for my heart.  
But there is nothing there.  
I am suddenly aware  
I am suddenly aware.  
Where have you gone?  
Oh heart of mine  
What have I done?  
To deserve this fate?  
Into the darkness I slowly fade.  
Can I maintain myself?  
Can I keep my voice?  
My voice defines me  
I sing loud and clear,  
Nothing confines me  
When I sing.  
Don't take that away.  
Let me keep that.  
I can lose anything else,  
Everything else,  
Just grant me one wish:  
Let me keep my voice.  
I will give in.  
Just give me that choice.  
Goodbye the life  
Of Lilly Creed  
Or whatever my name was.  
Hello the life  
Of the darkness.  
Hello the life  
Of a heartless.

The shadow awoke in the center of a courtyard of sorts. Its new eyes noted the bright pinpricks of light in the sky. It vaguely remembered that those shiny things were called stars. She looked at her surrounding in awe, her eyes like those of a child experiencing all of the sights as though for the first time. Looking up, the shadow saw windows of stained glass over which a bell hung in an outcropping. Vaguely, the shadow remembered this place. Inside, she knew that this was home. Traverse Town. But what is a home? Why did it seem so important, so such a sorrowful thing that would make the shadow sad should she have a heart to feel with. "But", thought the shadow, "if I don't have a heart, how do I feel sad that I don't have one?" Perhaps that was the greatest mystery of being a heartless: the sole feelings that a heartless is capable of are sorrow, grief, and pain. Or else that is what the shadow knew. There was a feeling of connection, a feeling that she was not alone in the world. She looked around yet again, taking it all in. She saw her companions milling around: her kin, the heartless. She was not afraid, as she once had been. No. Not at all. She felt almost comforted by their presence. At least something was there for her to see, something that felt the same.

She looked up as she heard the creaking of a door. "The first district," thought the shadow. She saw someone walk through the doors: a boy with brown spiky hair. She saw her kin approach him with malintent. She saw a weapon materialize in his hands as he crouched into a defensive stance. Every ounce of her existence said one thing: run. As her kin swarmed the boy, they were slowly destroyed one by one. Run, said the voice in her head. But the shadow stood and watched in horror. How could this child destroy these heartless, these beings that were once human? How could one destroy their own kind? For heartless and humans were one and the same. The absence of a heart did not change the fact that they were beings with thought and feelings. And the feeling that she felt at that moment was fear. Acting on instinct as the boy approached, she melded into the floor and moved into the shadows. The boy's sword slashed at her kin, but she stayed hidden., the want to survive outweighing all else. She closed her eyes and waited for the swing of the blade to find her. "Keyblade," she thought to herself. "The heartless's worst enemy."

But the blade did not hit her. She saw the boy run. She yearned to follow, wished for a way to tell him that he was hurting not emotionless monsters out to get him. Perhaps that was how all heartless felt, searching for their hearts. Maybe this one time this person will have it. Maybe this time I can return to normal. But the shadow remained still. She did not follow. She closed her eyes and waited, though she knew not for what. And soon she became one with the darkness, and she felt at home.


	2. Act II: The Savior

Song of Lala, Act II: The Savior

When the shadow awoke, she was once again in the dark courtyard. Nothing appeared to have changed, save there were fewer heartless milling around. It was darker than ever out.

The shadow heard footsteps, small and quick, followed by the pounding of larger feet. She saw the shape of a young child come down the staircase, followed by the shape of a masked man. "Get back here!" yelled the man at the child. The air around them was heavy, not as a father chasing his daughter in a game. The shadow knew then that it had to take action. As the man caught up with the little girl, the child emitted a small scream. "Got you," said the man in a gruff voice. As the man tucked the girl under his arm, the shadow attacked. She wondered what good she could truly do to protect the child when she was as weak as a child herself, having never stolen a heart. But she had to try. The man dropped the child, which ran away in terror. The man struggled, trying to fight back with the knife he was carrying with him, but the shadow would not let him go; she could not let him go. She was driven into a frenzy, a desperate need to get the man's heart, an uncontrollable instinct. Eventually, the man struggled no more and sank into a pool of darkness, leaving his sparkling heart hovering over the pool.

The shadow grabbed the heart on instinct, a deep part of her hoping against all logic that this heart would be the key to hers. She recoiled in disgust at the act that she had just committed. How could she possibly do that to someone? How could she condemn even a criminal to her fate? Was she losing what was left of her mind? "No," she thought. "I'm just the same as them. I'm a heartless. My nature is my nature. I cannot control it completely, but maybe I can fight it."

The test of her patience came. The child returned to the staircase. Instead of passing her by, running in fear, the child stopped. "Mommy?" asked the child of the shadow. "Is that you?" The child seemed to be waiting for an answer, one that the shadow could not give. Even if she could speak, she would not remember if she knew this child. Her memories had long fled her heartless shell. "Oh, I guess not. I just hoped that maybe you were my mommy. She lost her heart a few days ago. But I guess even if you were Mommy, it wouldn't matter now. You're a heartless." The girl looked away and tears began to flow down her face. If only the shadow could do something to comfort her before telling her to run. Her brethren would not be so kind as to spare a child. But the child needed her in that moment. The shadow remembered a song from long ago that comforted her when she was sad. As she thought of the melody, she heard the sound of it coming from her body. No words, just the melody. She could not remember the words even if she could put them into place. The child stopped crying and looked at the shadow. "Oh, I didn't know that heartless could sing! It's beautiful." More heartless neared them. The shadow looked toward the staircase, hoping that the child would understand. "You'll still be here, right? You saved me." the child waited for a response that could not come. "I'm going to call you Lala, my hero, because you sing." The shadow, now Lala, willed the child to run. And the child complied, saying as she went away, "I'll remember you, Lala! I can't come back, but I promise, I will remember you!"

And in that moment, Lala the Heartless knew her purpose. Lala would protect those in need and only take the hearts of those with no good intentions.

I have no heart.

I cannot lie,

Not a day goes by,

That I don't wonder why.

But yes, oh yes,

Don't cry for me,

I am still happy,

Can't you see?

La la, la la,

Give me your heart

And I'll share mine!

And with that joy,

I do sing,

Through the night

My voice does ring

Because deep inside,

My heart does cling.

I still have hope,

I shall never give in

To the darkness

The life I've been given.

La la, la la

Give me your heart

And I'll share mine!

I am a shadow,

Yet I have a name,

Yes you shall know,

Since you came.

You listen to me,

Like nobody else.

Young child,

Do you not fear me?

Young child,

Why do you come near me?

La la, la la,

Give me your heart

And I'll share mine!

But I will not take your heart

I couldn't if I tried.

I cannot bear

To share

The pain of

The monster I have become.

So my voice will ring,

Into this town

And I will sing

As I slowly drown

As my heart does fade

Every day.

But I will not give in

To the darkness I have become.

But don't cry for me,

I'm happy can't you see.

La la, la la,

Give me your heart

And I'll share mine!


	3. Act III: The Destroyers and The Destroye

Song of Lala Act III: The Destroyers and The Destroyed

When Lala woke once again, she saw her brethren heading towards a single point in the center of the courtyard. She felt drawn to join them, yet, she resisted. Something ominous seemed to be lingering in the air, something darker than her. She watched the heartless as they dissolved into the floor. 'What are they doing?' she wondered. They weren't fleeing as shadows are prone to do, they seemed to be gathering for something.

'Come,' said a voice in her head. 'Come and do my bidding. I will give you your heart back if you obey.' The voice made her recall the face that had begun to fade from her memories. It was a face of greed, a woman with a grey complexion and eyes condescending. Maleficent, Lala knew now. But Lala had no reason to believe her that she would return her heart. On the contrary, if she was the one who made her as she was now, what reason would this fiend have to undo the deed? However, she was struck by the overwhelming urge to follow her kin. 'Perhaps,' Lala thought, 'I can get somewhere and find my heart. Perhaps I can get back to as I was. That is my dream. To return, thought I know not to what.' Lala observed the heartless as they continued to merge. They seemed to be forming a larger and larger mass, the hearts they had gathered forming into a combined entity. This forming heartless could vaguely be made out.

Lala heard the bell from above ringing. Once, twice, three times it rang. And the heartless formed. It resembled a suit of armor. Once again Lala could see the Keyblade wielder approach. She took this as her cue to retreat to watch from a distance. She did not wish to be destroyed, but her curiosity had overtaken her logic to an extent, though enough was there for her survival instinct to outweigh the wish to meld with her kin and join them in the massive beast that they had become. The Keyblade wielder was no longer alone. He was accompanied by two silly-looking companions, a dog-like humanoid and a duck. If Lala could, she would have laughed at them. They approached the giant heartless without fear. The heartless attacked them without hesitation. Lala watched in awe, growing angry at the boy and his companions as he destroyed the heartless limb by limb. She watched as they evolved, a last ditch attempt to save themselves. And she could feel the sorrow of the beings as they lost their chance to find their hearts, the heartless's true dream. If she had tears, perhaps she would have cried for them. However, as sad as she was to see her brethren demolished, she supposed that the Keyblade wielder was acting much as she did so often of the time: on instinct. It is only natural to wish to destroy what tries to destroy you. Lala might do the same if she were in the same situation.

As the monster was finally destroyed, the group celebrated. Celebrating in the destruction of a living being. Joy oh joy. Lala couldn't believe it. If only they knew what they were doing, would they stop then? Or would they still destroy them in the end?

Why is it that life is so fragile?

What have we done to deserve

To live in this world that is so vile

What purpose does it serve?

Why do we destroy?

And why are we destroyed?

Why are the answers

So elusive in the end?

Who is to say why

Not I, I know, not I.

Then I guess in the end

It doesn't even matter

What we are and what we aren't.

For all we are is destroyed

And all we do is destroy.


	4. Act IV: A Memory

Song of Lala Act IV: A Memory

As Lala slept in the darkness, she had an experience that she didn't know whether other heartless had: she remembered. A bittersweet memory, one that she was both glad and sad to have remembered. 'But,' she thought, 'maybe it has a clue as to how to find my heart.' And so, she let herself remember.

It was the average night outside in Traverse Town, but inside, things were warm and peaceful. The family that lived inside knew the dangers of living outside of the first district now that the heartless had taken over the world, but they did not wish to leave their home, and the heartless had yet to invade its walls. However, the Creeds rarely left their fortress. Within the walls was a family that was loving and caring, except for one member, a member that didn't truly belong. An ex-boyfriend of the young adult in the home, Lilly, resided there having long overstayed his welcome, but how could they throw anyone out on the streets that were filled with heartless and other dangers? Lilly hated him, for he had mistreated her. She wanted him gone more than anything. If it had been her choice, heartless or not he would be gone. But it was not her choice; having just reached adulthood, she was not seen as a decision-making participant.

But, she knew that her family loved her and would protect her from him so long as she stayed inside the walls that had become their sanctuary. But on this night, something changed. He was furious with her for refusing to take him back. He went to attack her, violence in his heart, and so the family made a decision that they had been avoiding for a long time: they finally threw him out, literally. And once again peace returned to the sanctuary. Satisfied with her safety, Lilly went to bed and fell asleep. In her dreams, she was tormented by the boy, he attacked her, yelled at her, told her that she was worthless. And no matter how many times she woke from her nightmares, they returned the next time she closed her eyes.

The final time, she awoke with a start. Everything was far too quiet. She couldn't even hear the sounds of her family's breath filling the darkness. She turned on the lights in her room and cautiously crept into the hallway. She glanced in her parents' room and saw that it was filled with heartless and her parents were no longer there. She screamed and ran. The house was filled with the monsters. Having no way to fight them, her only choice was to run, run out into the dangers outside, for at least there, she had a chance to get away.

She ran through the second district where she made her home, sprinting in an attempt to make it to the first district, her heart pounding uncontrollably as she was pursued by heartless. She neared the staircase heading up towards the doors. But then she saw her worst nightmare: the boy. He looked up at her with an evil smile, surrounded in a pool of darkness. "Lilly," he said in a sinister voice. "Come here." Lilly was very frightened, but she knew that she could no longer proceed in that direction. She turned and attempted to climb the wall nearest to her. But she simply could not make it. The boy and the heartless surrounded her. All she could do was crouch down low to the ground, hoping that the impact would not come, but it was inevitable. She felt no pain as her heart was removed from her body, only fear and sorrow. Tears streamed down her cheeks in her final moments as a human being. And then there was only darkness. And then a face. A grey complexion and condescending eyes. Maleficent. And then the memory ended.

How could Lala use this memory to her advantage? Was she indeed Lilly Creed once? Or was she simply picking up the memories that lingered here in the courtyard? Lala did not know. Lala knew there was no way she could know. All she could do it take the hints that she had been given and attempt to use them to find her heart. She needed to look for the boy, the one from the memory. Perhaps he had her heart.

But how could Lala get anywhere to search? She had already searched the whole town for her heart with no avail, so she was confident that it wasn't there. But then Lala remembered: those strange doors in the first district that they were told not to open, for Cid said they led out of the world. Lala knew what to do now. But how would she make it through the first district without getting destroyed? Lala tried to devise a plan.

What good is a memory?

When you know not who you are

Or what you have done,

It doesn't go far.

But we use what

We have been given.

No matter of useless

It may seem, even

That is a chance.

And when you are

Nothing anymore

All there is

Is a chance.


	5. Act V: The Exit

Song of Lala Act V: The Exit

Lala devised a plan of action. She would travel to the third district to be closer to the door to the outside when she had to cross the first district. Lala knew that there were defensive devices at the exits from the second and third district to prevent heartless invasion in the first place. These weapons saw the presence of a heartless with cameras and automatically directed to attack. The average shadow would not figure out the simple solution to get past it: become as part of the ground itself and stay there until one is passed the defenses. But Lala was no average shadow. No, there was a spark in Lala, something that kept her going more than the others, a drive to become human again. And this drive allowed what remained of her mind to go to work and help her succeed. The success of her mission was more important than anything in Lala's life now. It was the difference between life as a human and death as a heartless. For heartless were disposable in the grand scheme of things, and if Lala were to lose what remained of her mind and fall into Maleficent's control, she would likely be destroyed as would eventually happen to all of her kin.

Lala, however, wasn't about to let herself be a puppet. And so she began her journey through the districts of Traverse Town in hopes that she would be successful in getting to her destination. She knew not what she would do when she got there, but if she could make it, surely she could figure something out.

She began walking through the familiar pathways towards the entrance to the third district. Her kin ignored her as usual, seeking only to find hearts and gain power, ignoring their fellow heartless unless they could gang together to end up fighting over a heart. Not that there were many hearts for the picking here. She knew that they would cause her no danger. She knew that she needed to be on the lookout of people. She remembered four faces that she specifically knew to avoid. She could vaguely recall their names: Leon, Yuffie, Aerith, and Cid, people who fought without regret to keep the heartless in control to prevent Traverse Town from becoming as their home world had been. So, she kept her eyes open. Much to her dismay, she spotted Leon and Yuffie near her destination, the entrance to the third district. She knew she could not continue in that direction. But she did know a way, a secret passage through the rooftops that she had often used as a child to get away from her parents, thought that was before the heartless came to Traverse Town. She wondered what the extent of her abilities was and attempted to climb up to the rooftop from where she was. She was delighted to find that she could meld with the walls and climb them as though they were a flat surface. She rushed to the entrance in the roof that led to the balcony.

Safely within the third district, she jumped from the awning to the main ground. The entrance to the first district was just a hop skip and a jump away. She passed her fellow heartless easily. The next step was more difficult. Even melding with the ground and traveling, the cameras might see her and the defense mechanisms might activate. Lala studied the patterns of the cameras' motions for a moment before she proceeded. Carefully, carefully, she maneuvered between the lenses' sweeps. She was only shocked once as she was actually heading under the door. Now, just to get through the first district. She only needed to round a corner. However, she spotted a problem: the Keyblade wielder and his companions speaking with Cid outside of the accessory shop. Surely she could rush it under the ground. She gave it a shot. She heard a young voice yell, "A heartless!" She used every ounce of her energy to run with all of her might, as fast as her shadow form could go. The Keyblade wielder came running in her direction, weapon in hand. As his blade clipped her, she slipped under the door and out into the lanes between worlds.

Nursing her wound, she looked around. She spotted something: a ship. Two ships, actually. One was orange, silly looking, and appeared as though it would fall apart at the smallest bump. The other looked acceptable, sleek and silver. And so, she decided to enter it, hoping to sneak a ride. She got on just in time: she felt in move forward. 'No turning back,' Lala thought.

No turning back now.

Never looking back again.

Into the future now.

Doesn't matter how

Things turn out in the end.

All that we can do

Is go on and on

And never turn back now.


	6. Act VI: The Whale

Song of Lala Act VI: The Whale

Lala didn't pay much attention to the pilot of the ship at first. But as the ride took more and more time, she had nothing to do but look at him. He was a human, not a heartless as she might have guessed, since she assumed most people didn't travel in the area between worlds. He was young, appearing to be around sixteen or so. He had silver hair and a fair complexion. His eyes were turquoise. He was dressed in yellow and blue. He wasn't paying much attention to his surroundings, or else he surely would have noticed his stowaway. Lala tried to be discreet, but it was difficult to blend in with her surroundings under the glow of the instruments that controlled the ship. The power of her need to travel outweighed her fear of the boy. She wished that she could run, but she knew not what would happen if she exited the vessel. The boy was muttering something under his breath, something along the lines of, "Stupid Sora." Lala wondered who Sora was and what made him stupid and why his stupidity was upsetting this human so much. His hands were clenched on the controls and his eyes were full of anger. But Lala decided she could do nothing to comfort him, so why bother worrying about it? She focused on where the ship would take her.

Lala dozed for most of the trip, healing from the scrape that she had taken at the hands of the Keyblade wielder. She felt the ship slow and went on alert, peering through the windshield into the space beyond. She saw a bizarre sight: a whale, flying through outer space. 'WTF?' Lala wondered. She grew alarmed as the ship kept approaching the beast, panicked as it entered the mouth and nearly fainted when they were swallowed. However, she calmed down as they safely landed. There was a sailing ship in the center of the mouth. The boy jumped out of the ship and headed in that general direction. Lala was unsure what her next move would be. She could see the benefit in both staying in the ship and going out. If she left, the boy could board the vessel at any moment and leave, but it was vaguely possible for her to find Lilly's ex. If she stayed with the ship, she could miss the chance, but would not get left behind. 'Well,' Lala thought, 'It can't hurt to go and have a look around. I don't have to be gone long.'

Lala hopped out of the ship and onto a soggy surface. 'Eww,' she thought. 'Is this a tongue?' But she decided not to dwell on the matter. The more quickly she looked around, the sooner she could get back to the space craft. She proceeded past the sailboat, knowing that she would surely be passing it again to leave. She entered an opening that was the throat and proceeded onward. As she wandered through the chambers of the beast, she found herself lost. 'Great,' she thought. 'Just great. Now I'm stuck here forever.' But she continued. She saw many of her kin about, more than were in Traverse Town in fact. There were many different sorts of them, those that she recognized and many more that she did not. She could see them searching for something, as she was searching, but Lala knew not what they were after. They couldn't all be looking for the same person. Likely they were searching for their hearts as well, but in different ways. Lala wondered how they could have gotten there, in this whale, because surely there weren't people living here. Perhaps she wasn't the first heartless to leave a world. She supposed that that did make a bit of sense, since they had to have gotten to her home somehow.

Lala continued onward, hoping and also dreading finding the person that she sought. As she journeyed forward, wandering blindly with no landmarks to use, she found herself being pulled once again to a certain point. She reached a round room with little in it other than a pool of darkness on the ground. Was this the same as in Traverse Town? As she fought the wish to join the pool, she saw her pilot run into the room carrying something… a puppet? Why would he be carrying a puppet? He was pursued by the Keyblade wielder and friends, who seemed to be quite annoyed. 'What's so special about a puppet?' she wondered, but heard the puppet speak, something inaudible, but she figured it was something along the lines of 'help'. The pilot threw the puppet into the pool of darkness, which formed into a large, cage shaped heartless. Lala caught some yelling between her pilot and the Keyblade wielder, and while she was losing the ability to pay attention long enough to make out full conversations all of the time, she deduced that her pilot's name was Riku and the Sora he had complained about was the Keyblade wielder. She was glad that she now knew what to call them. However, the mild joy that this revelation had brought was soon taken down a notch as she found herself watching Sora and his companions bash the heartless without remorse. 'Why do they keep doing this?' Lala wondered. 'And what does Riku, a human boy, have to do with the heartless?' Lala couldn't think of an answer and decided to make an exit before she was the Keyblade's next target. She was not going to find her heart here, she could feel that much. Her heart was not there to call out to her. She returned to the ship and went to sleep in the back, waiting for the next destination to come.

Patience.

Determination.

Are those enough?

Enough to find the way?


	7. Act VII: The Heart

Song of Lala Act VII: The Heart

When Lala awoke, the vessel had stopped moving again. This time she found herself outside of what she could only figure to be a pirate ship. She noticed that the boy, Riku, had left the ship, so she decided to do the same. Something in the air seemed promising here. She could feel something tugging at her, pulling her towards it. Could it be another one of the heartless gatherings to create a gigantic monster? Lala was going to find out, for this time she was not going to completely ignore the feeling. It could lead her to her heart, and it did feel like a different tug this time.

Lala pulled herself forward. She seemed to be sluggish for some reason or another. If only she could push a little further, she believed that she would succeed. Her heart had to be nearby, it just had to be! She pushed herself into the ship's hold and looked around. Once again, there were heartless everywhere, many shapes and forms she had never seen before. She passed a room where there were two people: two girls, one Lala could tell was missing her heart. She could relate. 'Haha. Funny.' So Lala considered entering the room, hoping to help. But she knew that she would just scare the other girl, so she decided to just move on. She was still following the invisible pull. She moved her ever sluggish form forward, feet dragging. For Lala was unaware that heartless begin to decay when they have not taken any hearts, and she had only taken one in her time. But, ignorance is bliss, so they say. Lala continued with high hopes.

She heard a lot of commotion going on throughout the ship, yelling, and heartless running in all directions. She saw the shadows of the Keyblade in the captain's cabin, and paused. She was pulled towards there. But she knew that she could not go. Not yet. So she waited. Finally, she heard quiet. She merged with the floor and crept under the door. There, in the middle of the room, was the one who stole her heart. She would know that face anywhere. But then, the face changed, the shape of the being forming into a mirror of the Keyblade wielder. Lala didn't even think. Her heart was here, and she was not going to let it get away. She pounced on the enemy, though it was much larger and more powerful than her. She could feel its shock and surprise at her actions as it violently tried to get her off, but she latched on with all of her might. She was not going to let it get away. She fought the heartless, which was thankfully already weakened from the battle with the Sora boy, with all of her strength. And somehow, through sheer will and determination, she won. And several hearts were released from the shell of the heartless. Lala fought the urge to grab them all and moved towards the one that called to her with a song as strong and beautiful as anything the shadow had ever heard. 'Just a few more steps,' Lala thought as she pushed forward in pain from the battle. 'Just a few more.'

And she reached her heart. When she touched it, there was a light unbearably bright, so bright that it burned. Yet it was comforting. She felt at home, as though almost everything was right. Almost. A piece of her still seemed to be missing. When Lala opened her eyes, she stood in the center of the first district of Traverse Town, no longer a shadow, but as Lilly Creed once more. And soon her new journey would begin. For she was herself, but she was no longer complete.

I have found you,

Oh heart of mine.

But why do I feel as I do:

Incomplete?

Half of me is here,

But half is not.

I do not understand.

I have found you,

Oh heart of mine,

But now is the time

To share,

If you care,

If you dare.

The End?


	8. Act VIII: Never the Same

Song of Lala Act VIII: Never the Same

There had been little celebration at Lilly's return. The only people who cared, Cid, Yuffie, Leon, and Aerith, had all returned to their home world or else were heartless. Only her family and the before mentioned even really knew of her existence in the first place. So she was alone. Nobody cared that she was back, nobody even acknowledged anything strange of a girl appearing in the middle of the first district with no apparent explanation. Apparently it had become an everyday occurrence. And the one person who she mentioned being a heartless to had looked at her like a mad-woman. She could not even tell her story, tell what it was like to be a heartless, tell the people not to harm them because they were once human and had the chance to go back to being so.

And Lilly did not feel as she once had; regardless of the same dark blonde hair, tanned skin, long legs, and trademark smiley face t-shirt. Physically she might be the same, but inside, she felt empty. She felt drawn to the shadows, wanting to hide herself from the light, jumping when someone snuck up on her when she wasn't paying attention. She just still felt like a heartless. She felt no joy, nothing but grief and sadness and loneliness. What was the point of not being a heartless? At least she hadn't been alone as one. And that was what Lilly truly felt. She began to not look at herself as Lilly Creed; no, that girl was gone forever. She was, and would always be, Lala. Something had changed in her in her time as a heartless; something had gotten better. She had been forever changed, made braver and stronger by her time as a helpless shadow. In the end, she had proven that she could do the impossible and overcome any obstacle. Now all Lala wanted now was to not be alone.

The truth was, Lala was once again drawn away from Traverse Town. And she knew of no way to travel safely. She had no choice but to stay right where she was, no other path in life. It was her destiny. And who was she to fight fate? Ha, she already had once. She would find a way. Somehow, someway, she would manage. She got up the gumption in the middle of the night to take the chance. She sneaked through the district, headed towards the exit to the world. She halfway hoped that someone would notice, that someone in this careless town would have to compassion to stop her. But no one did. She reached the door without a word said to try to halt her. She knew not what she would do, as she had no vessel. She hoped beyond hope that perhaps somehow there was one waiting for her. And as said of the wishes of the pure of heart, it was answered. Outside the gate sat an empty heartless vessel. The vacant ship was simple enough, room for one human; though Lala was sure many heartless were once crammed inside. Lala triple checked for any remaining heartless and then got into the ship.

"Well," Lala said, settling into the seat. "I wonder how this works." She found that there was no safety belt to buckle, much to her dismay, so she proceeded to examine the controls. Luckily, they seemed pretty self-explanatory. So she started up the ship and began her journey. She hoped that since she was flying a heartless vessel the heartless would not attack her in her travels. Her real concern was running across another ship. They would not know that it was she inside not a hoard of heartless. "I wonder where Cid and the others went. He's an expert on Gummi Ships. Maybe he can hook me up. If I only knew where to go…" Lala recalled her acquaintances mentioning a place called Hollow Bastion, once called Radiant Garden, as their home world. Surely that was where they had gone. She looked at the navigational devices. "That's handy," Lala said as she noticed a labeled map. There were too many worlds for her to make out. "Maybe if I say 'Hollow Bastion'…" sure enough, world on the map lit up. "Maybe it's like those movies. What if I say 'Go to Hollow Bastion!'?" Lala waited, and miraculously it worked. The ship shifted slightly and a light lit up that said 'Auto Pilot Activated'. Lala sat back and relaxed and let the ship do its thing. She knew that if something went wrong she could give the controls a go, but in the meantime, she was just going to let the ship do the work.

And so Lala's new journey began.

On the move again

I just can't stay here.

I have to leave again.

I don't know why

I don't know where.

All I know

Is I have to go.

And I'll make it so.

On the go again,

I have to fly.

Heed the call

Of the sky.


	9. Act IX: The Garden Under Construction 1

Song of Lala Act IX: The Garden Under Construction Part 1

Lala felt the ship slow. Her journey had been without complication up to this point; she had not been attacked by any ships, heartless or otherwise; she had not had any alarms go off in the ship as she feared there might be, signaling something wrong that needed attended to. She was thankful, of course, because she would not have had any idea what to do in either situation. She knew nothing of Gummi ships or their mechanisms. All she knew was that this ship was allowing her to travel through space without harm to herself, regardless of being a heartless vessel. And what mattered to her most was getting to her destination safely so that she could figure out what the heck was going on, what was drawing her away from her home and into the dangers of the outside worlds.

Lala glanced out the windshield at the world in front of her. Below, she saw a gigantic castle hovering over a medium sized town. There were ruins of what appeared to have once been a beautiful city, but no longer was it full of splendor. Still, she was drawn to it as though it was a beacon of light and she were a moth drawn to the flame. Lala sighed. When the ship approached an appropriate docking point, she stood up and prepared to exit the ship. It was not as simple of a step off of the ship as it was in Traverse Town. No, there was no staircase down and no doorway to enter. She stepped into the doorway of the ship and peered down at the height warily. There was at least a hundred foot drop, probably far, far more. She got closer to the edge and had just about decided to turn around and go back to Traverse Town when there was a strong gust of wind that knocked her off of her feet. She didn't even scream as she fell from the sky; no, she was far too terrified. All she could do is turn her body in the air to watch her decent to what she was certain would be death.

But then, another wind gust slowed her down, carrying her farther to her left, towards a high wall that seemed close enough for a safe landing. She flailed wildly in the air, reaching for the edge to grab onto if she could not get more of herself onto the structure. In the end, Lala was in for a perfect landing on the edge of the roof, perfect being used roughly here, as she still landed with a thud on her stomach, but she was unharmed, though sore. She looked down, once again struck by her elevation. She saw a few people milling about, but nobody had seemed to notice her fall or the heartless vessel that hovered overhead. Satisfied, Lala searched for a safe path down. Seeing no immediate exit, she decided to walk along the structure to see if there was any sign of one. As she walked, the sight that she used to fear the most appeared in front of her: heartless. But now, they're presence did not even phase her. She calmly approached, tested the waters a little bit, waiting for them to notice her. She had learned in Traverse Town that they did not seem to care about her anymore, and that seemed to be the case here as well.

After much walking, Lala found a staircase down near a doorway leading down a path. She could not see where the path led, but she could tell that the staircase led down to the town. After contemplation, she decided to head toward the town. She calmly kept on past countless heartless and felt drawn to the center of the town, where people were going on about their days. Seeing nothing of interest, Lala was unsure what her next move would be. She could ask someone if they knew of her acquaintances, but if she was in the wrong place, they might not, or question why she was there. Or she could keep following her heart and see where it took her. Listening to her heart had not yet failed her, so she decided to go with that option. It led her to a house. Lala took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

What lies beyond?

Beyond what I know,

Beyond what I've seen.

And where do I go?

Do I follow my heart?

Or listen to my brain?

Will it tear me apart?

Will I stand in the rain?

You have yet to fail me,

Oh heart of mine.

But what will it be?

Will this be what I want?

Or just a false lead.

Will this be a failure,

Or what I need?


	10. Act X: The Garden Under Construction 2

Song of Lala Act X: The Garden Under Construction Part 2

The door did not open. There was noise from within, a commotion. Lala was once again unsure what her next move should be. She knocked again. Still no answer. She had just turned to walk away when she heard a scream from within. Lala didn't know what to do. She had no way to fight whatever adversary might lie within, but she couldn't just walk away without doing something. She took another deep breath, turned, and barged in the door. Within there was a family, two parents and a little girl, surrounded by heartless. Certainly not what Lala had been looking for, but a sight that struck fear into her heart, not fear for herself, but fear for them. She looked around the room for anything she could use as a weapon. She found a fireplace poker that seemed suitable, rushed over to grab it, then darted past the heartless in front of the family. She brandished her makeshift weapon, waving it wildly about, yelling at the heartless, "Get out! Go away!" The heartless stopped their attacks on the family and turned towards Lala. They seemed to stare for a minute, seeming shocked at their attacker.

Then they faded into the ground. Just like that, the heartless were gone. Lala stared for a moment at the floor that they had just been standing on. She suddenly remembered that there was a cowering family huddled together behind her, watching. She threw her weapon away from her and turned to face them. "It's okay," she said. "They're gone now." She watched as the quivering group looked her up and down. Finally, they calmed down slightly and hugged each other. Lala was satisfied. She turned to leave, seeing that she was unneeded.

"Wait!" the father said, making Lala turn. "Thank you for saving us. I don't know how you did it, but you chased those heartless off. Is there anything we can do to thank you?"

Lala shook her head. "Thanks are not necessary," she said, looking down. "My family was attacked by heartless too, a while back. I didn't want to see another having the same demise." She paused. "I do have a question, though."

"Anything."

"Do you know a Cid, Leon, Yuffie, or Aerith?" Lala asked, looking at the father curiously.

"Well yes. They are the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee. Do you know them?" the man asked.

"Yes, actually, I do. Could you tell me where I could find them?" The man gave her an address and directions to a house on the next block. "Thanks!" Lala said gratefully. "I'll be on my way now."

"Thank you again," the man said as she left the house and quietly closed the door behind her.

"Well," Lala said to herself as she walked following the directions she had been given. "That was interesting. I wonder why the heartless fell back that easily. I hope they don't come back to their home. I'll be sure to tell 'The Committee' that they should keep an eye out on this block." She proceeded without interruption from any heartless, for they did not spawn. She wondered as she walked, why would the heartless give up so easily to a teenage girl with a fireplace poker. These weren't weak heartless she was talking about; they were more than just shadows. So why would they be scared of her? As she pondered this, she reached the door that she was looking for.

She knocked on the door. It opened slightly, and Lala saw an eye peering through the crack. The door then opened all the way. "Lilly?" asked Aerith cautiously. Lala wondered what was wrong. She felt that it would be best to respond to her old name and not bring up her new one just yet. Something was up.

"Hi Aerith," she said, looking her in the eyes. "Long time no see."

Aerith looked behind herself, obviously checking something or someone. "Come in." She closed the door behind her. Lala looked around. In the room sat Leon, Yuffie, and Cid. Cid was at a computer of some sort, but all were looking at her. Her remaining heartless tendencies were made uncomfortable by the stares. She wished she could just hide in a corner and be unnoticed, but she knew that if she showed any kind of discomfort, they would suspect that something was wrong. Aerith turned to look at her again. "Lilly. We thought that the heartless had gotten you for sure. Your house was ransacked; you and your family were gone. We searched every inch of Traverse Town. We're so glad you're here."

"Now wait a minute, Aerith." Leon said, standing up and approaching Lala. "How do we know that this isn't some nobody out to get us." He had a hand on his sword. Lala gulped and took a few steps backwards. "See? She even fled when we figured it out."

"Wait!" Yuffie said, putting a hand on Leon's arm. "You could just be scaring her. I remember our Lilly being terrified of her own shadow (Lala stifled a giggle at the irony of that statement), let alone a grown man with a sword."

Cid was studying her. "Let's at least hear her story, Leon. She might really be Lilly, and we don't want to hurt her if she is."

"Alright. But she just gets one chance." Leon took his hand off of his sword and leaned against a wall.

"Okay Lilly. What brings you here?" Aerith asked, looking at her with a calming expression.

"Please don't hurt me!" They all looked guilty and softened their gazes. "Umm… Let's see, where to start." Lala tried to gather her thoughts in her adrenaline filled mind. She had to figure something out to say. And she knew she couldn't be strait to the point, or they would be suspicious. "Well… I woke up in Traverse Town and you all were gone. Hardly anyone else even knew me. So I wanted to come where I could figure things out with someone I know."

"Wait… Woke up? What do you mean?" Yuffie asked.

"You aren't going to believe me even if I tell you…" they looked at her suspiciously again, so she had to continue. "But I'll tell you anyway! Please don't hurt me!"

"No one's going to hurt you, Lilly," Aerith soothed.

"Sure, sure. None of you want to hurt me, you say and yet I walk in here and get called a nobody. What is a nobody anyway?"

"You talk, then we answer," Leon ordered, receiving disapproving looks.

"Alright! I will!" She was stiff with fear, eyes wide in terror. She felt as though she was being interrogated. "I woke up because I had been a heartless!" They all stared, ready to reach weapons again. "I found my heart, okay!" she said rushing her words together. "I was a heartless and I found my heart and that made me a person again! Please don't hurt me! I'm not a nobody! I don't even know what that is!" She felt tears well up in her eyes. She couldn't take it any longer. She crouched close to the ground and broke out into sobs.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she shied away. "Lilly… It's okay. No one's going to hurt you," she heard Aerith say again. Lala could hear Yuffie and Leon arguing softly, just outside of her range of hearing.

"Yes you are. I'm not stupid. You aren't going to let me go now. I shouldn't have come here. I should have just gone out on my own. Silly me, thinking I still had friends. Silly, silly me." She heard the arguing stop, but her eyes stayed on the floor. "Could you please just let me go? I promise I won't come back."

"Lilly… Come on now, we aren't going to do anything to you, and you are free to leave whenever you like. Isn't that right, guys?" Aerith still tried to comfort the sobbing girl on the floor.

"Right!" said a cheerful Yuffie.

"I would never hurt you, kid," said Cid.

There was a pause. "… Alright," Leon finally agreed. Lala looked up cautiously to find that there were no weapons pointed at her. She then sat cross legged on the floor, not wanting to stand up, wanting to seem as unintimidating as possible, though surely a tearful girl already won her points. She sniffled.

"How did you even get here, kid?" Cid asked, puzzled. "You said you woke up in Traverse Town."

Lala prepared for another freak out, but she knew it was best to be honest. "I stole a heartless vessel. It was empty, so I got in and used it to get here."

They all stared at her, baffled. "That doesn't sound like the Lilly I know," Yuffie said, though she looked amused not violent. She quickly corrected herself, as she saw the look on Leon's face. "I'm not saying you aren't the Lilly we know. It just sounds a little out of character for you."

Lala looked away for a moment. "Being a heartless changed me. I'm braver now, not that you'd probably believe that from the fact that I am sitting on your floor crying like a maniac." She looked back and sighed. "But I'm lonely. And I don't feel complete." She received more concerned looks. "What's a nobody?"

"A nobody is one of the forms that a person takes on when their heart is stolen. They become two entities: a heartless and a nobody," Leon explained. "That's why I thought you could be one. A nobody sometimes takes on the appearance of the person they once had been."

"Oh. Well I'm not a nobody. I found my heart."

"It's okay now, Lilly. I believe you," Leon said, not looking at her.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it," Lala replied. "Maybe that's what's missing. Maybe I need my nobody to be complete."

"That's crazy talk. I've never heard of anything like that," Yuffie said.

"Well, that's how I feel. I don't feel normal. And I think it could be because part of me really is missing. But the other reason I came here was to ask for advice on Gummi ships, and maybe one that I could use. I need to be able to travel, and I take it heartless vessels aren't ideal."

"You can't just go out on your own!" Aerith exclaimed.

"Well, I'm going to even if I have to steal another heartless ship to do so!"

"We can't have that," Cid said, though still disapproving. "I'll hook you up."

"But Cid!" the others all said in unison.

"Thank you," Lala said. She yawned. "Is it alright if I sleep here on the floor? I'm beat." She had decided it was best not to tell them about the heartless being afraid of her. She wouldn't want them to freak out again.

"Sure," said Aerith. "But at least let me get you some blankets or something."

"Nah, I'm good." Lala went over to the corner so she would be out of the way before curling up to go to sleep. As she drifted off, she heard them talking about her.

"She really is our Lilly." "We can't just let her go out there on her own!" "We have to." She fell asleep listening to them argue.

My oh my

How the world has changed.

My oh my

Look how the world has changed.

I wonder why?

I wonder how?

Why didn't they believe me

From the start?

Could they not see my heart?

Am I the only one

Who can see what's inside?

Am I all alone?

Do I have no place to go?

My oh my

How the world has changed.

My oh my

Look how the world has changed.


	11. Act XI: The Garden Under Construction 3

**Song of Lala Act XI: The Garden Under Construction Part 3**

Lala awoke to the feeling of hardwood underneath her. It was an unfamiliar feeling. Feeling things at all was unfamiliar now, as she was still recovering from her time as a heartless. Being a heartless wasn't something that a person got over in a day, or a week, or even a month. No, Lala was beginning to think that it might take years, if she ever got over it. A good step in the right direction for her, she thought, might be calling herself Lilly again. But she just wasn't Lilly anymore. No, Lilly was a lost, scared little girl who was a spoiled princess with only one real problem to claim. Lala was brave, the savior of that child, the one who felt for the heartless, the one who did not heed Malificent's call, the one who took on a far stronger heartless to get her heart back. She would forever more be Lala in her mind. Sure, Lala could let people call her Lilly, that's a name that they are familiar with, a name that makes sense for a human. However, Lala was the name that she had been given by that little girl that she saved that day, the day she had a purpose.

But her thoughts were occupied elsewhere at the moment. She looked around the unfamiliar room, grasping for where she might be. Then she remembered: Hollow Bastion, or Radiant Garden if you were being nice. Lala remembered how afraid she had been going asleep, terrified that her 'friends' would do something to her in her sleep. But she guessed that perhaps they truly were friends, given the fact that they hadn't done anything to her. 'Well,' Lala supposed, 'I should probably get up.' She figured that Cid would have had some time to think up some kind of Gummi ship for her. Well, probably not long enough to fully find her a solution, but surely long enough to consider. That is if he wasn't busy. Lala sighed. She'd get to go eventually; she just had to be patient. And maybe she was wrong; maybe Cid had a ship for her already.

Lala got up from the floor and looked around the empty room. On the computer, the one thing worth looking at in the room, there was a note. She picked it up. It said: "Gone to work. Feel free to stay there or look around town. We'll be back later." It wasn't signed, so she supposed it could have been written by any of them. Lala wondered what they were doing. She supposed construction work, since they were the 'Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee'. She decided to take another walk around town now that she was settled in.

She walked out of the house and took a look around. The town obviously had once been very beautiful and obviously had the potential to be once again. In it was an eerie kind of beauty that stayed even with the problems that the heartless had caused. She didn't really know where to go. She decided to head towards where she had made her descent from the sky as a starting point. The town was fairly easy to navigate, much to Lala's pleasure. She reached her starting point and looked around. It would be so much easier to get a look at the town if she got back on that wall. But the wall was crawling with heartless, and while that didn't bother her much, it might get a few raised eyebrows from other people, and the last thing that she wanted was for attention to be drawn to her. She still felt like people were staring even when they weren't, so she couldn't imagine the feeling if they were. Her thoughts were interrupted by a scream. Lala headed in the direction from which it had come. She knew logically that it should be instinct to run the opposite way of a scream, but hey, what was logic good for anyway?

She reached what appeared to be an area that once had fountains perhaps, perhaps not. There was a waterfall that seemed to be rising rather than falling, with floating stones everywhere forming a path to follow. Down below was a little girl, a girl who looked eerily similar to the one that Lala had saved back in Traverse Town all that time ago, surrounded by heartless. Lala didn't hesitate. She charged through the heartless, leaving them with baffled looks. "It's okay," she said to the girl. "I'm here now. Don't be afraid." She found some rocks to throw at the heartless, as they still were trying to get to the girl, who was wounded. "GO AWAY!" she yelled at the beasts. They backed off some, but did not go away as they had when she defended the family. They seemed more determined.

Thankfully, a large shuriken flew through the masses, drawing their attention elsewhere. Lala took the opportunity to pick up the child run. She had no way to fight, and she didn't want the girl to take on further damage. The life seemed to be slipping away from the child, her injuries were so severe. Lala had to do something. She reached the house, not knowing where else to go. Tears were streaming down her face seeing the poor dear in such pain. If only she could do something to help. She did the one thing that she knew she could do: she could sing. Singing had brought her comfort in times of need, and it brought comfort to others as well. Lala began a calming song, the words flowing from her soul as if to hold the life in the body of the other.

'Hush little child,

You'll be fine.

I am here now

Trust me.

Sweet little child

Full of life

Hold on to that life

Trust me.

Oh dear little one,

You'll be fine.

Life will find you.

Trust me.

Be brave little child,

Don't you cry.

You'll be fine.

Trust me.'

Tears streamed down Lala's face as she sang, but when she opened her eyes, there was a soft glow around the little girl, and her wounds had begun to heal. The little girl was staring back at her, eyes wide. "That voice… Lala?" Lala simply nodded. She continued the song, hoping that it was the cause and so long as she kept singing it would be fine. Once she ran out of words, out of energy, she stopped, but she saw that the little girl was much better now, not perfectly fine, but well enough to survive. She sat cross legged on the floor, too tired to stand any longer. The little girl came over and gave her a hug. "You saved me again, Lala. Thank you so much."

"You remembered me. You knew it was me even though I was a heartless then. Thank you." Lala smiled.

"Of course I remembered you silly! I told you I would! If you're human again, does that mean that my mommy could be one again?"

Lala smiled, wanting to comfort the child, not be the bearer of bad news. "She might be. You never know."

Just then, the door burst open and in came Yuffie. "Lilly! Are you okay? I saw you with heartless!"

"We're both fine, aren't we?" The girl nodded. "You might want to get her to a doctor to be checked out though. I somehow healed her some, but she was pretty hurt. And I'm pretty tired now. I'm going to stay here." Lala turned her gaze towards the child. "You can trust Yuffie."

"I know. Thank you Lala! I hope we see each other again." The girl smiled at her.

Yuffie looked confused. "Umm… I'll ask questions later. I'll be back, Lilly, if you are sure you are fine."

"I'm sure." Lala smiled and settled in leaning against a wall. She watched them leave. Another day, another victory. Lala liked being the hero instead of the monster. But she did need to lecture her friends on killing heartless, reminding them that they were people once too and had the potential to be again. But for now, she was going to sit right where she was.

The truth is

I am not alone

Anymore.

But I'm still

Lonely.

Why?


	12. Act XII: Ascend

Song of Lala Act XII: Ascend

A voice in Lala's mind brought her back into awareness, though she remained in a deep slumber. "My, my, little girl. You just love to thwart my plans, don't you." Lala recognized the voice: Maleficent. "Now, you will do as I say now, and stop being such a nuisance. You will go to Twilight town, where I will give you further direction. Don't fail me this time. You are still mine; even with your heart, you are incomplete." There was sinister laughter, and then Lala felt herself sink back into the darkness of sleep.

Lala woke up feeling refreshed and recognizing her surroundings. She had been interrogated when the others arrived to home base over the little girl and healing, and over the name Lala. She answered to the best of her ability. She had explained that she did not know how she healed the child, she simply had sung to her to try to get her to hold on to her life. She explained how she had saved the same child from the Heartless in Traverse Town while she was a Shadow and that that was how she received the name that the child called her, Lala. She still deemed it best to not ask to be called by her new name just yet. It would be best to let the whole Nobody thing blow over if she ever did take up that name formally. She wouldn't want to go through being accused of being one again. She was terrified of what her friends might have done to her.

And she was uncomfortable here in her new surroundings anyway. Radiant Garden was where her parents were from and where she had been born, but she did not remember much of it at all. And while Lala had traveled through a few worlds, she was not yet sure what she thought of this one. She had never intended on staying on any of the others, and yet this is where she supposed she belonged after what Aerith had explained about everyone returning to the worlds where they had come from, though nobody remembered what had caused them to be returned. Lala had no idea either. All she knew was that she was wishing to move on and find what she was searching for, be it her Nobody or whatever else it may be.

Thankfully, today was the day that she would leave on her new journey. She was looking forward to getting away from Radiant Garden and seeing the worlds again, this time not being a timid little creature that could be squashed like a bug. Well, relatively speaking she was less useless, but she still was just a girl without even a weapon. If her Heartless chasing trick were to fail, she was toast. But hopefully it wouldn't come to that, and she always had the option of running like a mad woman if all else failed. She didn't know what she would do if she ran into any of those Nobody things that Leon had talked about, because they were apparently way faster than Heartless. Well, she would just have to face it if it happened.

She approached her shiny new Gummi ship that Cid had made for her. She said some goodbyes to her friends, wishing them good luck in restoring Radiant Garden and they told her to be safe and to come back if anything went wrong. And things were bound to go wrong, they seemed to imply. They really had no faith in Lala's ability to protect herself, and she really couldn't blame them. She had never shown any signs of ability back in Traverse Town, and yet now suddenly all she had to do was yell at Heartless and they ran away and somehow she could heal people? It's no wonder she was questioned so much.

Lala sat in the cockpit of her new vessel, finding it much more comfortable than the Heartless ships that she had ridden in before, but she also had no idea other than what Cid told her how to control the freaking thing. And she had no idea where to go. She could go to this Twilight Town, as Maleficent told her, and hope that she would find what she was looking for, or she could do everything in her power to go the opposite direction. She decided that she could fight Maleficent, and Twilight Town would just prove her strength to herself. Besides, it was the only direction she knew how to go.

But it all begins with a single step. And Lala pressed the ignition and began her next step in the journey.

Forever more,

I'm not alone,

Forever more,

I'm not alone.

For in my heart,

I hold my friends.

This is the start,

Not the end.

Forever more,

I'm not alone,

Forever more,

I'm not alone.


	13. Act XIII: The Town Between Night and Day

Song of Lala Act XIII: The Town Between Night and Day

Lala docked her ship about a town that was glowing with a sunset that seemed as though it would last forever. She had been compelled here by a force that she did not understand (though she assumed it was Maleficent) and could only assume that this was Twilight Town. She could see slanted streets, golden buildings, and a clock tower that loomed over it all. It was a very interesting town to say the least. People were milling about; everyone seemed calm, as though the influence of the Heartless had not yet reached the calm burg.

Upon landing in an empty area in front of a train station, Lala noticed that she felt drawn towards a wooded area. She was torn as to whether to follow the whim and follow her heart, or to follow her gut and go the opposite way, fearing Maleficent's trickery. She had just about decided to run away, when she was suddenly being physically pulled towards the woodland. She fought it to no avail. She was not about to be drawn in, as surely this had to be Maleficent's work, but she could not break the pull. Resigned, she allowed herself to be drug in whatever direction she was being pulled, knowing that she could use how willpower to fight whatever else might be thrown at her. Her body may be weak, but her mind was strong.

And so, Lala found herself drawn to the center of the old woods. She saw some kind of creature, like a Heartless, yet not the same. It was silver with long limbs and a mouth that looked as though it was closed with a zipper. Could this be one of the Nobodies that Leon had talked about? There was no other explanation that she could find. Maleficent's voice suddenly rang in her mind "Now destroy it! They keep destroying my Heartless, perhaps I can use you to fight back!" Lala was terrified. She did not know how to fight, she knew how to yell at things and run away. She fought the influence that was place on her with all of her might. And she broke free. She ran and ran as quickly as she could in the nearest direction, being pursued by the Nobody, with it just feet behind her. Thankfully, Lala was a fast runner, and she came across the town again soon enough. The Nobody did not follow her out of the woods.

Out of breath, Lala could hear Maleficent curse in her head. "You just won't quit, will you?" Lala willed her thoughts reach Maleficent, "I never will." Lala sat on the ground, trying to catch her breath. She certainly was no long distance runner. But she was never going to give in to the darkness which Maleficent was pushing her towards. She was looking for her Nobody, she certainly wasn't going to destroy one and risk it being her chance to be complete. She felt herself once again drawn in a direction, but this time it was much less forceful, much more like her heart longing for something. She allowed her feet to guide her, knowing that it surely wasn't Maleficent trying again so soon.

She found herself in front of the train station, looking up at the clock tower. She could see something up there. Not something, but someone. She saw them looking down at her. There was a guy up there, too old to call a boy, too young to call a man. She rushed to find a way up there, feeling urgency that she had not felt sense she had found her heart. About half way up the staircase, she ran into the boy. She stared back into the eyes of a face that was uncannily similar to her own. He stared back at her. They had the same hair color, the same eyes, same skin tone, similar builds (the main difference being the obvious ones that come from gender). She did not know what to say. He was the first to speak. "Why don't we go back up there and talk. I think that I've just found what I was looking for."

Once upon a time,

There was a girl,

A girl who lost,

Her heart.

Once upon a time,

A boy was born,

From one without

A heart.

But now they have met,

We don't know what,

Will happen…

Yet.


	14. Final Act: The Heart and the Nobody

Song of Lala Final Act: The Heart and the Nobody

The pair, Lala and her look-alike, sat on top of the clock tower, staring down at the town below. There was a comfortable silence between them, as though they knew everything that was not being said. But alas, Lala felt the need to break it. "I'm Lala," she said, introducing herself.

"I'm Vice," said the boy. He looked her dead in the eye. "You have my heart."

"I think it's our heart, actually. It was mine before, but now there's you. But that's okay. I can share."

"What do you mean, share? Is that how this works? I have never met a Nobody that has found their heart. There is even a group that's sole purpose is to try to find a way to replace their hearts. They tried to recruit me, but I wasn't about to join in what I thought was a wild goose chase." He looked down.

"I don't know either. I didn't know I had a Nobody, or what a Nobody was. All I knew was that I was a Heartless, and I found my heart. I thought that was the end of it. But I still felt empty." Lala sighed. "But now I feel whole again."

"I don't want to go away." Vice looked at her. "I want to be my own person."

"I want you to be your own person too. I just don't know how we can make it work." Lala stared into the distance, lost in thought. Suddenly, she was stuck with fear. She felt a tug, once again magical energy drawing her in a direction. But this time, it was strait out, off of the tower. "Vice! Help me!" Lala said, panicked. Vice grabbed her hand. He wasn't able to stop her descent. Instead, they fell together.

"Lala!" he yelled, contorting himself in the air to land before her and soften her fall.

He landed with a thud. "Vice!" Lala screamed. He did not respond. "Vice! Vice! You've got to wake up. Please! I just met you! I want to know you!" Her panic lessened when she noticed that he was breathing. She stood up, looking around. She saw a dark form: Maleficent.

Maleficent was laughing. "You've been so much trouble. I'm tired of dealing with you. So that fall did not stop you, thanks to your little friend there, but when that fall did not accomplish, my Heartless will follow through." A hoard of heartless approached.

"No. They will not." Lala felt herself surrounded by energy. "My friends, do you really want to listen to her? Be free. You don't have to do anything you don't want to!" The Heartless turned on Maleficent.

"What?" she asked in shock. They jumped on her, attacking, angry at all she had done to them. Maleficent screamed in agony and disappeared in a puff of smoke, obviously making a hasty escape. The Heartless, for their part, dispersed towards the woods.

"Thank you!" Lala yelled after them. She turned to Vice, still lying on the ground, clearly injured. "Maybe I can heal him, like the girl." Lala rushed to his side and crouched next to him. She began to sing whatever words came. "_You're going to be okay, my dear, you're going to be okay. Lala's here, your heart is here, together we can make it through._" Lala thought to herself briefly, 'man I suck at lyrics.' But she kept singing, kept willing him to be well again. And eventually, his eyes slowly opened.

"I'm awake?" Vice asked, sitting straight up. He stared at Lala. "You saved me? Why?"

"I just met you. I want to get to know you. And I told you, we can share our heart." Lala smiled. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Thank you. I like the sound of that. Our heart." Vice smiled back at Lala. He took her hand. "What do we do now?"

"I have an idea. Trust me."

They returned to the top of the clock tower. Lala put her hand over her heart. "I, Lala, do declare that my heart shall be shared with Vice, my new friend." She put her hand over where his heart would be. There was a glowing. "Whoa, hey, I think it actually worked!"

"You tried something that you didn't know would work? Really? What if it had gone wrong and neither of us had a heart." Vice seemed annoyed.

"Well, it didn't work out that way, so it's fine, right?" Lala gave him a stern look.

He smirked. "Right."

And so, hand in hand, the new-found friends, of one heart, watched the perpetual sunset.

We have searched and searched,

It felt like forever,

But now we have found,

We will be together.

Together to the end.

Together in the end.

Heart and body as one,

Soul complete,

We have searched a searched,

It felt like forever,

But now he have found,

We will be together.

The End


End file.
